Squatters Abandon Dogs In Calumet Heights House

Dogs were left inside this home on the South Side. (Credit: Mike Krauser/WBBM)

UPDATED: 8/13/2013 11:53 a.m.

CHICAGO (CBS) — Animal welfare workers are planning to remove a pair of dogs that were apparently abandoned by their owners and locked inside an empty house.

WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports the dogs could be heard barking Tuesday morning, inside a home in the 9100 block of South Paxton Avenue in the Calumet Heights neighborhood.

The dogs – which appeared to be pit bulls or pit bull mixes – had been inside the home for about a week, abandoned by their former owners, neighbors said.

“We just assumed they were new neighbors, and one day we came home, and the police cars were out there, and we found out they weren’t neighbors. They weren’t supposed to be there, they were squatters,” said one woman who lives next door.

“It was awful. We don’t know what to do. I mean, we feel sorry for the dogs, but there’s two of them. We’re afraid to try to feed them, or let them out.”

Animal Care and Control workers were at the home on Sunday, and left a notice on the door about the abandoned animals, telling the owners to call the city.

Animal Care and Control showed up again on Tuesday with police officers, who were trying to reach the property owner before removing the dogs.